Graham Harbold, a Lakeside Republican, is vying for the position of sheriff of Navajo County in the Nov 8 General Election. Harbold’s platform is built on the belief that good policing starts with family, community and well-trained officers.
His experience includes serving 10 years in the U.S. Army, finishing his service as a staff sergeant. He followed that by serving as a sheriff’s deputy for Pinal County and Navajo County for a total of nine years.
Harbold believes the sheriff’s office needs to invest more in its employees and that they need to get to know the people they serve. “The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office needs positive change, we need to get back into the communities and give our deputies the training they need,” stated Harbold.
As sheriff, Harbold said he would ensure that the deputies have the opportunities to expand their skills and the pay they need to provide for their families. “Leadership training is required to keep the young men and women who join law enforcement in law enforcement. They thrive on knowledge. Whether it’s a DUI, burglary or boat patrol, these officers need to have access to that training or we will lose them to bigger agencies. We need a drastic leadership change,” he said.
Harbold also feels that more officers are needed to cover the needs of the county. “I would loosen up deputy chief funds that are currently being reserved for the upper echelon of the department’s administration. By doing that I can bring two to five more officers on the road,” he noted. “As the third poorest county in the state, we need to become self-sufficient and recognize that society is getting so bad that we need to be more involved with our communities to better serve them.”
To bring additional financial support to those changes, Harbold believes that the sheriff’s office needs to employ a full-time grant writer who would be able to research and locate funds to improve the department. “There’s a lot of money out there that can benefit Navajo County,” he said.
Harbold wants to bring law enforcement officers back into the schools, not just for protection of students or as a first responder, but also for kids to look up to. “Kids are enthralled with the uniform. They are drawn to officers at a young age and we just need to hold onto that through high school. Five to 15 are the ages that kids begin to get into trouble or need help.
“Today’s communication is different than it used to be. Kids would rather communicate through text and social media than face to face. We need to train law enforcement officers, teachers and others to work with juveniles on their level.”
As sheriff, Harbold said he would ensure that deputies are part of the community, going beyond responding to crime. “They need to get out and meet people, play ball with the kids and provide mentorship. You learn a lot about the type of activity going on in a community by doing that. It allows you to be proactive rather than reactive to incidents,” he said.
He related a story of when he and a new deputy spotted an elderly man having difficulty gathering leaves in his yard. He and the other deputy assisted the man and in the course of conversation, learned that the man had seen a vehicle believed to be involved in a burglary. “We not only got to know and serve him, we learned some valuable information. Now that he knows us, he’ll know who to contact if he observes anything else that concerns him,” said the candidate.
Harbold went on to explain that he wants to integrate new programs, including a drug coalition satellite program that would involve law enforcement, community leaders and families. “If we can get kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol, then we can target the adults,” stated Harbold.
He also understands the value of the interdiction of drug trafficking that takes place along county roadways. “We need to continue with those efforts in battling the illegal transportation of drugs on our roads,” he said, adding that it’s an important facet of law enforcement in the county.
Harbold also supports a Constitutional education and training for all law enforcement, and wants to make that available to all Navajo County residents. “It all leads back to community. Building strong relationships and bridging communication gaps means less opportunity for crime to prosper,” he concluded.
